COOP

Joe Leone: Award-Winning American Screenwriter and Film Industry Professional

Occupation: President/CEO – Write Now Productions LLC

Biography: Joe Leone is a highly accomplished American screenwriter and esteemed figure in the film industry. He is the President/CEO of Write Now Productions LLC, a successful and growing production company focused on producing compelling cinematic experiences.

Education: Joe Leone is a proud alumnus of Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, a prestigious institution recognized as the #4 film school in the United States by The Hollywood Reporter. Notable industry icons such as The Duffer Brothers, Justin Simien, and Ben York Jones, creator of 'Everything Sucks!,' are among the distinguished alumni of this esteemed institution.

Awards and Recognitions: Mr. Leone's exceptional talent and outstanding contributions to the art of screenwriting have garnered him over 60 prestigious awards. His remarkable scripts have been officially selected by more than 300 film festivals and screenplay competitions worldwide, solidifying his reputation as a master storyteller.

Professional Experience: Joe Leone brings a wealth of industry experience to his craft. He spent six years with Paramount Pictures' Motion Picture Marketing Administration, where he honed his skills and gained valuable insights into the marketing and promotion of films. Additionally, he served as a Story Analyst for Prelude Pictures and Kamin & Howell Entertainment, further deepening his understanding of storytelling and the intricacies of the filmmaking process.

Joe Leone's passion for storytelling, combined with his exceptional talent and extensive industry experience, has established him as a leading voice in the world of screenwriting. His dedication to his craft and remarkable achievements continue to inspire and shape the future of the film industry.

Agent Representation:
Lisa Simpson - Elevated Artists Entertainment LLC
Elevated Artists Entertainment LLC
Clearwater, FL 33764
(727) 350-2665
contact@elevatedartistsent.com

BLASTOFF (01/30/23)
Script / Screenplay Coverage
BLASTOFF FESTIVAL ID: 9090
TITLE: Coop
WRITER: Joe Leone
FORMAT: Feature Film
PAGE COUNT: 103
GENRE: Drama
LOCATION/s: California
PERIOD: Present Day/ Near future
COVERAGE BY: Stephen H., edited by Rowan S.

Joe,

This is a beauty. If it’s rejected by the people now reviewing it, let me know. We can submit to a few producers who work in this genre – if it’s picked up, you and your agent take it from there.

Very best wishes,
Rowan

Rowan Sutherland, M.F.A. (Screenwriting/Film)
Festival Director
BLASTOFF

COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL
The script has strong commercial potential and, with some slight adjustments, should appeal to a wide range of audiences. The script embodies many nicely interwoven elements: athletics, tragedy, humor, romance, and the beauty of a pet-owner relationship. It’s a recipe for success.

Score Sheet
Writer’s reference. As far as scoring goes, 5 is acceptable, but suggests that category definitely needs work, 6 is good, and anything above that tends towards really good or
exceptional. Consider giving the script a final polish, whatever the scores.

Formatting 10/10
Concept / Story Elements 9/10
Plot / Pacing 9/10
Action / Writing style 6/10
Characters 8/10
Dialogue 9/10
Commercial Potential 10/10

THE BLACKLIST (Evaluation) - 09/29/23 -

Genre: Drama, Sports Drama, Coming-of-Age

Logline: Following a catastrophic car accident that leaves several of his friends dead and his legs amputated, a high school track star feels like his life is over until he finds solace in an injured dog whose spirit presses him to pour himself into his recovery and his dreams to become a Paralympic athlete.

Strengths: The inspiring resilience and moving heart of films like STRONGER are met in equal measure, in this script, with the powerful emotionality of films like DOG, yielding a stirring, heartwarming journey that will leave no member of the audience dry-eyed. In high school athlete Gabriel, the script crafts a bright-eyed, ambitious, talented boy whose curtailed dreams drop a genuine tragedy and an electric catalyst into his life. Gabriel's personality shines through in every scene, from his brash challenging of an older boy, at age 13, to race him for $250, to his survivor's guilt at graduation, and his eventual pivot toward embracing the promise of his life and his dreams anew. Touching moments and striking imagery pervade the script, right down to an especially memorable date with girlfriend Tracy at a skydiving facility, the two of them floating in an airborne dance. The relationship that Gabriel forges with adopted dog Coop is similarly warm, charming, and complex, and as the two of them bond and recuperate together, it is impossible not to root for them. Building toward a dramatic climax, this script delivers an emotional gut punch whose lingering effects resonate well beyond its final pages.

Prospects: The triumph of resilience and recovery represented in this script are both infectious and universally appealing. Coop brings a similarly attractive element of cuteness that seems in a number of regards fairly irresistible. For his part, Gabriel offers the opportunity for a breakout, career-making performance from an up-and-coming young talent, while secondary characters like Tracy, Angela, Coach Sanderson, and even Janet bring further color and variety to the ensemble. While potentially sharpening and complicating some of the conflicts that Gabriel contends with could only amplify the impact of his journey, it feels as if a film like this one could find a devoted following, either theatrically or on a variety of streaming platforms.

THE BLACKLIST (Evaluation) - 09/25/23 -

Genre: Drama, Sports Drama

Logline: After a championship runner has his life changed in a tragic car crash, he meets up with a young pup struggling to overcome a similar fate, and together, they fight to beat the odds that destiny has stacked against them.

Strengths: There is so much to love about this script! The concept alone takes the tried and true story of unconditional love between a man and his dog and adds a heartfelt twist that makes the story stand out, making it worthy of the big screen. The visual of a wheelchair-bound teen and his unlikely counterpart who seemingly shares the same fate is a touching image that could easily make this a marketing dream for studios and financiers. The script does a fantastic job of creating parallel storylines in Act I that show the rather idyllic lives of Coop and Gabriel before the accident--a clear counter to the horrors that send the narrative careening into Act II. Ultimately, their true connection is formed through these terrible events, changing their lives forever. There are enough storylines to offer some variety within the screenplay without overburdening the narrative. The romance between Gabriel and Tracy is a relationship that is worth greater development since this shows the more loving and vulnerable side of his character while adding in some teen angst for a younger crowd. The mentor-protege connection between Gabriel and Sanderson interweaves an interesting father/son element that connects nicely to Gabriel's lofty ambitions.

Prospects: This is a brilliant concept that has tremendous potential for the screen. The logline alone could garner attention from major studios and production companies seeking out feel-good films with inspirational stories that could resonate with a broad audience. That being said, some issues regarding story structure must be addressed in Acts II and III to give the script a greater sense of cohesiveness. The timeline must be more defined and condensed so that the script can use that to generate suspense and momentum when it needs it the most. Gabriel is undoubtedly an inspirational hero who could eventually prove alluring to a top-tier actor in the leading role. The idea is there, and with some restructuring of the narrative's second half, this could eventually become a terrific screenplay that would rise above the rest in a competitive spec market.

Virtual Pitch Fest (09/18/23) - Josh Weinstock - IMDb -
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2319222/
Explanation: Strong project, just currently not the right fit.
Comments: Sounds like a great project, unfortunately not what we are looking for at the moment. We have a couple of inspirational sports stories we are already working on. Good luck with the project

Virtual Pitch Fest (09/17/23) - Mauricio Arrioja - IMDb - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3976018/
Explanation: Strong project, just currently not the right fit.
Comments: Very impressive material. With a lot to offer! Keep knocking on doors until you get it sold/made. Cheers!

Virtual Pitch Fest (02/05/23) - David Schatanoff Jr. - IMDb - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2604149/ -
Explanation: Strong project, just currently not the right fit.
Comments: Thanks for sending this over but it doesn't quite fit our upcoming slate. But we hope you get this into production; we would watch this all day long! - David

4theatremovies REVIEW - COOP (JULY 21, 2021) - https://www.instagram.com/p/CRl5LxeCW60/
A screenplay by Joseph Leone
Genre: Drama

“When everything seems to be lost, the dogs come to our aid.”

A runner ready for the Olympics will find himself forced to revise his ambitions due to an adverse fate. He will find the strength to resist thanks to a dog named "Coop". Joseph Leone's screenplay manages to immerse us in the story thanks to the use of a simple but at the same time effective language, allowing the reader to perceive the mood of the protagonist as rarely happens within a script. The character evolution of the protagonist due to the difficulties that arise, make "Coop" become a great metaphor on human life itself, which as in the best films in the history of cinema, teaches us one thing: that we must never give up. So, to conclude, Joseph Leone's screenplay remains a valid, authentic project, which fascinates anyone who reads it, and which allows him to imagine with open eyes that “fantastic fur” of the dog protagonist of this story and to run forever by his side.

LA LIVE FILM FEST - has added a note to your submission (10/9/20) - "top screenplay as a finalist for its genre/category great work as usual, your literary works are above reproach. Definitely award worthy for our 2020 season, thank you for sharing your work with us, Best, Josephine"

STORYTELLER'S COTTAGE ANNUAL FEATURE AND SHORT SCREENPLAY CONTEST - has added a note to your submission (5/23/20) - "A wonderful and moving story with great characters and deep emotional impact."

COOP - AUSTIN SCREENPLAY AWARDS - Analysis/Coverage (02/08/2020) - Call me a sucker for dog stories, but COOP struck me as the type of narrative that’s made to tug at the emotions. The writer really does a great job of this without getting too heavy handed in the delivery. That’s not as easy a task as it sounds with a plot that has a career ending surgery, abused dogs, and the comeback story of a lifetime. All of these plot points beg for hokey speeches and cheesy dialogue, but the writer does a great job of presenting these plot points with grounded realism. The writer certainly embraces the dramatic elements but doesn’t overplay them to the point of parody. It all amounts to a very touching story made of equal parts heartwarming healing journey and crushing loss. The dialogue really is one of the easiest aspects of the script to fall in love with because the writer is so great at imparting a sense of individuality to the characters.

There are a wide variety of personality types on display in this script, but the writer effortlessly flirts between different styles, verbal quirks, motivations, and manners of speech with ease. They also don’t shy away from conflict in dialogue, making what could otherwise be mundane conversations filled with tension. Watching the various combinations of characters interact was a genuine joy, as each maintained their motivations and backstories when speaking, not just gabbing away to deliver exposition or expedite the plot. Of course, we do get exposition in the dialogue, but it’s masked with personality and proper character motivation, keeping the level of authenticity in the conversation high. In this script, dialogue is a tool for understanding character, not just developing the plot.

Overall, this script succeeds because it maximizes the drama inherent to the concept and setting. The writer has a great understanding of when to let moments breathe for maximal effect and when to inject the writing with energy, short sentences, and active word choice to convey tension and forward momentum. It all amounts to an engrossing tone that I could lose myself in. There’s a lot of complexity to this narrative, not always in the plot points, but in the character development and relationships. It makes the script feel dense and meaningful, worth another read even to parse through the heady questions it raises. Still the real entertainment is in Gabriel and Coop’s journey. This central relationship holds the whole script together.

AFTER HOUR FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW (Jan 24, 2020) - https://www.afterhourfilmfest.com/post/coop-the-review

Coop touches your heart. Not just the subject matter, but Joseph Leone's treatment of the script is also honest and appealing. The plot is simple. A disabled dog helps a recently disabled athlete, find his purpose in life, again.

The dialogue is believable, and the emotions can be related to. The pacing is apt, and the structure is handled with care and professional expertise.

COOP - BARNSTORM MEDIA - FEEDBACK NOTES - (11/25/19) - Strength(s): The dynamic between Coach Sanderson and Gabriel is well crafted. This screenplay was a joy to discover. Thanks for sharing.

COOP (FEATURE FILM SCREENPLAY) - currently selected in (72) Film Festival/Screenplay Competitions, which include: (15) Award Wins, (17) Finalist, (2) Honorable Mention, (17) Semi-Finalist, (7) Quarterfinalist Placements, and (14) Official Selections to date.

SCREENPLAY COMPETITION RECOGNITION/AWARDS FOR (COOP) FEATURE FILM SCREENPLAY

AWARD WINNER(S):
COOP - BLASTOFF film, screenplay, and music festival - AWARD WINNER - (March 2023)
COOP - Show Low Film Festival - AWARD WINNER - BEST OF THE FEST (Oct 2021)
COOP - Wallachia International Film Festival (Romania) - AWARD WINNER (Sep 2021)
COOP - Florida Script Challenge - AWARD WINNER (May 2021)
COOP - Redwood Shorts & Scripts - BEST DRAMA FEATURE SCRIPT (Jan 2021)
COOP - FFTG Awards Film Fest 2020 - BEST INSPIRATIONAL FEATURE SCREENPLAY (Dec 2020)
COOP - Flixze Film Festival - AWARD WINNER (Dec 2020)
COOP - Gold Star Movie Awards - HONOURABLE MENTION (Oct 2020)
COOP - SoCal Film Awards - DIAMOND AWARD WINNER (Oct 2020)
COOP - Milan Film Awards - AWARD WINNER (Sep 2020)
COOP - The Hollywood Jumbo 2020 Screenplay Festival - AWARD WINNER - FEATURE SCREENPLAY (July 2020)
COOP - Queen Palm International Film Festival, 3rd Quarter, 2020 - SILVER AWARD WINNER (CROWN SELECTION) - FEATURE FILM SCREENPLAY - BEST CONCEPT (June 2020)
COOP - The Good Dog! International Film Festival - BEST FEATURE SCREENPLAY (May 2020)
COOP - Depth of Field International Film Festival - GOLD SCRIPT WRITING - AWARD WINNER (Jan 2020)
COOP – After Hour Film Festival - AWARD WINNER – BEST SCREENPLAY (December 2019)

FINALIST:
COOP - Sunvale Screenplay Contest - FINALIST (Dec 2023)
COOP - Sunvale Film Festival - FINALIST (August 2022)
COOP - Comox Valley International Film Festival - FINALIST (April 2022)
COOP - KATRA Film Festival - FINALIST (June 2021)
COOP - Richmond International Film Festival (RIFF) - FINALIST (May 2021)
COOP - Visionfest Screenwriting Competition - FINALIST (Dec 2020)
COOP - L.A. Live Film Festival - FINALIST (Oct 2020)
COOP - PixelsGARAGE Awards of Excellence - RUNNER-UP (Sep 2020)
COOP - Storyteller's Cottage Annual Feature and Short Screenplay Contest - FINALIST (May 2020)
COOP - FilmMatic - Inroads Screenwriting Fellowship - FINALIST Selection out of 1,200 (+) submitted entries (May 2020)
COOP - Red Flight Pictures Screenplay Awards - FINALIST - Top 100 Selection out of more than 3,500 submitted entries received (Feb 2020)
COOP - Block Island Film Festival - FINALIST (Feb 2020)
COOP - Miami Screenplay Awards - TOP 10 FINALIST out of 632 submitted entries (Feb 2020)
COOP - Hollywood International Diversity Film Festival - FINALIST (Jan 2020)
COOP - Chandler International Film Festival - TOP 10 FINALIST (Jan 2020)
COOP - FilmMatic Pitch Now Screenplay Competition - FINALIST (Dec 2019)
COOP - Desert Pitch - Film Fest Tucson - TOP 5 FINALIST - PITCH COMPETITION (Oct 2019)

HONORABLE MENTION:
COOP - THE ART OF BROOKLYN FILM FESTIVAL - HONORABLE MENTION (May 2023)
COOP - Barnstorm Fest - OFFICIAL (SHORT LIST) SELECTION - HONORABLE MENTION (Dec 2019)

SEMI-FINALIST:
COOP - Scripts4c.com Faith & Family 2023 Script Competition - SEMI-FINALIST (Nov 2023)
COOP - Fade In Awards - SEMI-FINALIST (June 2023)
COOP - 100 Screenplays - SEMI-FINALIST (June 2023)
COOP - Scriptmatix Fellowship - SEMI-FINALIST (June 2023)
COOP - FLICKERS' Rhode Island Film Festival - SEMI-FINALIST (July 2021)
COOP - Cinema Soup Film Festival - SEMI-FINALIST (June 2021)
COOP - Marketable Filmmaker Screenwriters Collaborative - SEMI-FINALIST (April 2021)
COOP - Lonely Seal International Film, Screenplay and Music Festival - SEMI-FINALIST (Oct 2020)
COOP - CWA (Creative World Awards) Screenwriting Competition - SEMI-FINALIST - DRAMA (Aug 2020)
COOP - Tirota/Finish Line Social Impact Script Competition - SEMI-FINALIST (June 2020)
COOP - Austin Screenplay Awards - SEMI-FINALIST - Top 10% finish out of 1,104 submitted entries (May 2020)
COOP - Atlanta Screenplay Awards - SEMI-FINALIST - Placed in the Top 4-10th Percentile out of nearly 1,100 submitted entries (April 2020)
COOP - Circus Road Screenplay Contest - SEMI-FINALIST - Placed in the Top 30% of all submitted entries (March 2020)
COOP - New York City International Screenplay Awards - SEMI-FINALIST - FEATURE FILM SCREENPLAY - Top 10% finish out of 829 submitted entries (March 2020)
COOP - Chicago Screenplay Awards - SEMI-FINALIST - FEATURE SCREENPLAY (Feb 2020)
COOP - BLASTOFF - Master of the Logline - SEMI-FINALIST (Feb 2020)
COOP - Logline to Movie Screen Contest - SEMI-FINALIST (Jan 2020)

QUARTERFINALIST:
COOP - SPARK - International Screenwriting Competition - QUARTERFINALIST (Sep 2023)
COOP - Santa Barbara International Screenplay Awards - QUARTERFINALIST (March 2023)
COOP - Houston International Sports Film Festival - QUARTERFINALIST (May 2021)
COOP - Sedona International Film Festival - QUARTERFINALIST (May 2021)
COOP - Plot Point International Screenwriting Awards - QUARTERFINALIST (April 2021) - listed #3 by Premium Beat for Top 7 Online Screenwriting Competitions - (May 21, 2020) article
COOP - Scriptation Showcase - QUARTERFINALIST (Sep 2020)
COOP - StoryPros International Screenplay Contest - QUARTERFINALIST - Top 20% finish out of all submitted entries (Nov 2019)

OFFICIAL SELECTION(S):
COOP - Lauunch Pad Feature Competition - SECOND ROUND SELECTION (Nov 2023)
COOP - Budapest Movie Awards - OFFICIAL SELECTION (Oct 2023)
COOP - Fort Myers Beach International Film Festival - Screenplay Competition - OFFICIAL SELECTION (Aug 2021)
COOP - 4theatre Selection - OFFICIAL SELECTION (Aug 2021)
COOP - Marina Del Rey Film Festival - OFFICIAL SELECTION (July 2021)
COOP - Summer in the South Film Festival - OFFICIAL SELECTION (July 2021)
COOP - The Macoproject Film Festival - OFFICIAL SELECTION (July 2021)
COOP - Northeast Mountain Film Festival - OFFICIAL SELECTION (May 2021)
COOP - Filmchilla - OFFICIAL SELECTION (Oct 2020)
COOP - Festival Angaelica - OFFICIAL SELECTION - Screenwriter Mentorship Program (Oct 2020)
COOP - Austin Spotlight Film Festival - OFFICIAL SELECTION (Sep 2020) - with over 1000 submissions this season, your entry stood above the competition & we could not be happier to include you in our 2020 showcase!
COOP - Filmmatic Drama Screenplay Awards - OFFICIAL SELECTION (June 2020)
COOP - Gold Canyon Film Festival - OFFICIAL SELECTION (Jan 2020)
COOP - Lake Travis Film Festival - OFFICIAL SELECTION (Jan 2020)